What God Has Provided
By Marcia Lee Laycock
I remember the day well. It had taken me a while to find the tiny rural church where the meeting was being held but I was determined to be there. I had just discovered that there was a Christian writers’ group based in Alberta, the province I now called home. My excitement was held in check only by my curiosity to find out who else would be at the meeting. Would I find people of like mind? People who could help me along this new path I had chosen to follow? Would there be a ministry for me amongst that group?
It wasn’t long before I discovered the answer to those questions was yes. As I sat in a back pew listening to other writers of faith read their work and pour out their hearts’ desires to write for Christ, I felt like I’d found a new home. Yes, these people were of like mind and yes, it was obvious they were eager to help one another along toward the goal of being published writers. That group was called Alberta Christian Writers’ Fellowship.
That was almost 25 years ago and those two directives are still a huge part of InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, the group that now serves not just Alberta writers, but writers of faith from all across Canada. With approximately 200 in membership, the group is diverse, with writers who have been widely published and those who are just starting out among the ranks. In such a vast country communicating with one another is a challenge, but technology has allowed it to happen with a website, a members’ forum, a prayer group and a quarterly magazine delivered by regular mail or by email. Members also benefit from reduced costs at conferences, a blog where members contribute articles, bursaries, scholarships and much more.
A highlight each year is the annual Fall Conference held on the last weekend of September. This year the conference will be held on September 26-27 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Edmonton with Phil Callaway as the featured speaker/teacher. Workshops will be conducted throughout the weekend with something for all interests and levels of skill. Published authors will rub shoulders with beginners and all will learn from and be encouraged by one another.
For writers, the benefits of belonging to a group like InScribe can’t be overemphasized. We tend to be a lonely lot, prone to discouragement and self-doubt. We need to be among others who won’t look at us with a bewildered expression when we say, “I’m a writer.” We need to be connected, to pray for one another, to teach and learn from one another and be encouraged to keep writing.
It’s what writers of faith do. It’s what God has provided.
For more information on InScribe go to www.inscribe.org.
About this Contributor:
Marcia Lee Laycock writes from Central Alberta where she and her pastor/husband are planting a church. Her work has been widely published since joining InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship.
Visit Marcia’s website – www.marcialeelaycock.com